The As-Built Model
The as-built model is a Tekla Structures model updated to reflect the actual installed condition of the steel — including all field modifications, member substitutions, connection changes made during erection, and design revisions incorporated after original fabrication. It should be delivered in both the native Tekla format (.db1) and as an IFC export, so the owner can access the geometry with any BIM software. The as-built model is the reference that makes future renovation possible without re-surveying the existing structure.
The Final Document Package
- Final drawing set — all drawings at their final revision, with all revisions incorporated, organized by drawing type and sequence
- Final revision register — complete table of all drawings, final revisions, approval status, and fabrication release status
- Final RFI log — all RFIs numbered, with questions, responses, and closure documentation
- Final approval comment log — all EOR comments with responses confirmed
- Final BOM — the as-fabricated material list, reconciled against the drawing set
- Transmittal log — complete record of all document submissions and receipts throughout the project
Retention and Archival
Structural project records — including as-built drawings and models — should be retained for a minimum of 10 years after project completion, and longer for public structures or those in jurisdictions with longer statute of limitation periods. The fabricator, detailer, and owner should each retain a copy of the closeout package. Digital storage should include at least two backup locations — cloud and local — with a defined retention policy that prevents accidental deletion.
Field Modification Documentation
Not every change made during fabrication or erection finds its way into a formal drawing revision — and that gap in the record is exactly what the closeout process is designed to close. Field modification documentation begins with the erection contractor's field change log: a record of every deviation from the fabrication drawings — extra holes added, members trimmed, connections reinforced, shims installed — with a location reference, a description, and the date. The detailer compiles these field changes from the erection contractor's log, from field RFI responses that required physical changes, and from any shop revision issued after the member was released to fabrication. All of these changes must be incorporated into the as-built model and reflected in the final drawing set before the closeout package is sealed.
Mill Certificate and Material Test Report Compilation
For public structures, structures regulated by the IBC, and projects where the EOR has required material certification documentation, the closeout package should include a compiled set of mill certificates (MTRs) for all structural steel. Each MTR documents the heat number, section size, material grade, chemical composition, and physical test results (yield strength, tensile strength, elongation) for the corresponding material. MTRs should be organized by piece mark range or section size and cross-referenced to the BOM. Projects in seismic design categories D through F per ASCE 7 may require that wide-flange sections for the SFRS have MTRs demonstrating Fy/Fu ratios within the limits specified in AISC 341 Section A3.1 — a requirement that must be tracked from material receipt through closeout.
Welding Documentation and CWI Inspection Records
AWS D1.1 structural welding code requires that completed welds be documented by a Certified Welding Inspector (CWI). The closeout package should include: the welding procedure specifications (WPS) used on the project, the welder qualification records (WQR or WQT) for each welder who worked on the project, and the nondestructive testing (NDT) reports — visual inspection records, ultrasonic testing reports (UT), and magnetic particle inspection reports (MT) where required. For seismic frame connections governed by AWS D1.8 (Seismic Supplement), demand-critical weld documentation is required with additional WPS qualification records. These welding documents must be retained with the structural record and are typically requested by the special inspector's final inspection report.
The Change Order and Fee Documentation Summary
For cost accounting and future reference, the closeout package should include a summary of all change orders and their final disposition: the change order number, the triggering event, the agreed fee, the date of authorization, and the payment status. This summary is useful if any cost dispute arises after project closeout and serves as the financial record that confirms all additional scope was compensated. The change order summary should be reconciled against the final contract value to confirm the total authorized project fee. For fabricators with multiple concurrent contracts, this discipline of closing out the change order register at project completion prevents open change orders from aging into unrecoverable disputes.